and Interventions Reveal the Health Benefits of Levan-Type Exopolysaccharide Produced by a Fish Gut Isolate FW2.

Microorganisms synthesize diverse types of exopolysaccharides (EPSs). EPSs with varying structural and physical properties can demonstrate unique health benefits, which allow for their tailored applications as functional foods such as prebiotics. Levan, a fructose-based EPS, is gaining considerable attention as an effective prebiotic to support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

Retraction Note: Mathematical analysis of COVID-19 pandemic by using the concept of SIR model.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1007/s00500-021-06133-1.].

Social determinants of financial stress and association with psychological distress among young adults 18-26 years in the United States.

Introduction: Financial stress (FS) during young adulthood may have lasting effects on financial security, physical health, and overall wellbeing. This study examines the burden, social determinants and mental health consequences of experienced FS among young adults in the United States, based on objective measures of financial stress.

Methods: We studied young adults aged 18-26 years using pooled data from the 2013-18 National Health Interview Survey.

Predictors of Mortality in Patients with Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis.

Introduction: Despite treatment with antibiotic therapy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) accounts for approximately 20-40% mortality in hospitalized patients. The data is scarce regarding mortality predictors in SBP. Recently, multiple factors have been studied for effectiveness in prognosis prediction in SBP.

Thoracic Aorta Measurement Extraction from Computed Tomography Radiology Reports Using Instruction Tuned Large Language Models.

Chest computed tomography (CT) is essential for diagnosing and monitoring thoracic aortic dilations and aneurysms, conditions that place patients at risk of complications such as aortic dissection and rupture. However, aortic measurements in chest CT radiology reports are often embedded in free-text formats, limiting their accessibility for clinical care, quality improvement and research purposes. In this study, we developed a multi-method pipeline to extract structured aortic measurements from radiology reports, and compared the performance of fine-tuned BERT-based models with instruction-tuned Llama large language models (LLMs).

Coexistence of the Radial-Guided Mode and WGM in Azimuthal-Grating-Integrated Microring Lasers.

Whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators, renowned for their high Q-factors and narrow line widths, are widely utilized in integrated photonics. Integrating diffraction gratings onto WGM cavities has gained significant attention because these gratings function as azimuthal refractive index modulators, enabling single-mode WGM emissions and supporting beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM). The introduction of curved grating structures facilitates guided mode resonances by coupling high-order diffracted waves with leaking modes from the waveguide.

Perceived work-related stress and associated factors among the surgical workforce in a Nigerian tertiary health facility: A cross-sectional study.

Healthcare workers continue to experience high levels of work-related stress which continue to negatively affect their psychological, physical, and emotional well-being. This is even more prevalent among healthcare workers who work in surgical specialities, with the surgical operation room becoming a known stressor at hospitals. This study aims to assess work-related stress among surgical team members at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria between January 2021-2022.

Worsening abdominal pain leading to false laparotomy: A case of acute intermittent porphyria.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), one of the most severe types of acute hepatic porphyria, is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder of heme biosynthesis. We present a case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with severe abdominal pain, subjected to a laparotomy and later developed seizures and other neurological manifestations. Initial investigations showed hyponatraemia.

SARS-CoV-2 variants induce increased inflammatory gene expression but reduced interferon responses and heme synthesis as compared with wild type strains.

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have been associated with increased viral transmission and disease severity. We investigated the mechanisms of pathogenesis caused by variants using a host blood transcriptome profiling approach. We analysed transcriptional signatures of COVID-19 patients comparing those infected with wildtype (wt), alpha, delta or omicron strains seeking insights into infection in Asymptomatic cases.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt for Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Single-Centre Experience.

: Despite several challenges in clinical management, there has been significant progress in understanding the aetiology, natural history and outcomes of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) treatments. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) using covered stent in management of BCS. : We conducted a retrospective analysis of 70 BCS patients who underwent TIPS using covered stents between January 2010 and December 2022 at a single tertiary liver transplant centre.

Assessment of Respiratory Health Implications of Vaping: A Systematic Review of Toxicity Mechanisms and Adverse Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.

E-cigarettes are thought to aid in tobacco smoking cessation, but there are concerns about their overall effectiveness and safety for the general population, particularly adults. This review aims to investigate the mechanisms of toxicity and adverse effects of e-cigarettes on the respiratory system, comparing these effects with those of conventional smoking. A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Exploring natural herbs: their role in treating male infertility, enhancing sexual desire and addressing urological disorders.

Infertility affects 8-12% of couples globally, with male factors contributing to around 40% of cases. Common male infertility issues include erectile dysfunction (ED) and low sperm count or quality, which account for over 90% of cases. These problems often result from anatomical, hormonal, or genetic abnormalities.

Disparities in age and gender-specific SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing trends: a retrospective study from Pakistan.

Background: Pakistan reported 1.57 million COVID-19 cases between 2020 and 2022, based on approximately 30.6 million SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests conducted.

Assessment of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Models in Creating Medical Illustrations for Various Corneal Transplant Procedures.

Purpose: This study aimed to task and assess generative artificial intelligence (AI) models in creating medical illustrations for corneal transplant procedures such as Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), and penetrating keratoplasty (PKP).  Methods: Six engineered prompts were provided to Decoder-Only Autoregressive Language and Image Synthesis 3 (DALL-E 3) and Medical Illustration Manager (MIM) to guide these generative AI models in creating a final medical illustration for each of the four corneal transplant procedures. Control illustrations were created by the authors for each transplant technique for comparison.

Evaluating the Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Generated Illustrations for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), and Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE).

Purpose: To utilize artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to generate medical illustrations for refractive surgeries, aiding patients in visualizing and comprehending procedures like laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). This study displays the current performance of two OpenAI programs in terms of their accuracy in common corneal refractive procedures.

Methods: We selected AI image generators based on their popularity, choosing Decoder-Only Autoregressive Language and Image Synthesis 3 (DALL-E 3) for its leading position and Medical Illustration Master (MiM) for its high engagement.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on ncRNA and mRNA profiles of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion rats model.

Ischemic stroke poses a significant global health burden, with rapid revascularization treatments being crucial but often insufficient to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has shown promise in reducing cerebral I/R injury, but its potential molecular mechanism, particularly its interaction with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), remains unclear. This study investigates DEX's therapeutic effect and potential molecular mechanisms in reducing cerebral I/R injury.

Dental pulp stones and their correlation with metabolic diseases.

Background: Dental pulp calcifications or pulp stones are calcified structures found in dental pulp, mostly around or enclosing a blood vessel. The formation of these calcifications begins with concentric layers of calcified tissue within which remnants of necrotic and calcified cells may be present. The calcifications of thrombi in blood vessels, called phleboliths, may also serve as nidi for denticles.

Compliance With International Council of Ophthalmology Guidelines for Glaucoma Eye Care in Pakistan.

Prcis: This study demonstrated that the compliance levels with International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Guidelines for glaucoma eye care were low for all the elements in both public and private health care settings.

Purpose: To determine the compliance with the ICO guidelines for glaucoma eye care among Pakistani ophthalmologists and to compare differences among ophthalmologists practicing in public and private health care settings.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective chart review, and the records were reviewed according to ICO guidelines.

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Copper and Cobalt Complexes for Antimicrobial Potential Applications.

Background/aims: The naturally occurring phenolic chemical curcumin (CUR), which was derived from the Curcuma longa plant, has a variety of biological actions, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Curcumin is known for its restricted bioavailability due to its hydrophobicity, poor intestinal absorption, and quick metabolism. To boost the biological effects of these bioactive molecules, it is necessary to raise both their bioavailability and their solubility in water.

Evaluation of viral suppression and medication-related burden among HIV-infected adults in a secondary care facility.

Background: People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are prone to other health issues that may result from the disease or antiretroviral medicines. These persons experience other psychosocial aspects of the illness, which may negatively affect their quality of life and overall treatment outcomes. This study assessed the medication-related burden and virological response of adult PLHIV.

Clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with bioprosthetic mitral valve- Experience from a South Asian country.

Objectives: Due to rheumatic heart disease, young people are more likely to develop valvular heart disease in developing countries. In countries like Pakistan, surgeons implant more bioprosthetic mitral valves (MVs) in younger patients. However, bioprosthetic valves degenerate rapidly in younger people, leading to bioprosthetic MV dysfunction (BMVD).

Vitamin B6 p-JNK/Nrf-2/NF-κB Signaling Ameliorates Cadmium Chloride-Induced Oxidative Stress Mediated Memory Deficits in Mice Hippocampus.

Background: Cadmium chloride (Cd) is a pervasive environmental heavy metal pollutant linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, memory loss, and genetic disorders, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: This study investigated the neurotherapeutic potential of vitamin B6 (Vit. B6) in mitigating Cd-induced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation-mediated synaptic and memory dysfunction.

Coping efforts made: Psychological burden of people living with tuberculosis due to social stigma in society. A qualitative phenomenology study.

The psychological burden is greatly felt by people living with tuberculosis because the characteristics of the disease are very visible and very contagious, and the obligation to take the right dose of medication with long treatment. This is what makes tuberculosis a very stigmatic disease. The aim of this research is to explore the psychological burden felt by people living with tuberculosis due to social stigma by society and how coping efforts are made.